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About

Welcome to Martha’s Vineyard’s historic Edgartown Harbor!

Our 2017 season will commence Friday, May 26 and conclude Sunday, October 15. Below you can find information regarding protocol, services, amenities, and restrictions. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions.

• • CONTACTING US • •
During high season, we have at least one assistant harbormaster on duty from 07:00 AM to 01:00 AM. To reach us, hail “Edgartown Harbor” on VHF Ch. 74. If you do not have a radio, call our office at (508) 627-4746. Our check-in time is 11:00 AM and check-out 10:00 AM. In the event of an emergency after hours, call 911 -- the Communications Center will dispatch and contact appropriate units.

• • TRANSIENT MOORINGS • • The Edgartown Harbormaster Department oversees all permanent, seasonal, and transient moorings in Edgartown waters, 84 of which are designated for transient use for vessels up to 65-feet in length. Transient moorings cost $40 for any length of stay within a 24-hour period that cycles from 10AM-10AM and are distributed on an assigned-basis as they all accommodate different vessel lengths. As of 2017, there are no more first-come, first-serve pick-up moorings and day-trips pay the same $40 rate as overnight vessels. All vessels arriving without a reservation are to hail us on VHF Ch. 74 for availability.

We strongly encourage all visiting yachtsmen and yachtswomen to reserve in advance as Edgartown is one of the busiest and most popular ports in the United States and frequently sells-out. To reserve, visit our website, www.edgartownharbor.com. For weekends and holidays especially, be sure to book when our calendar opens on March 1 at 0800 EST sharp. There is a two-week limit per calendar month for July & August. Edgartown does not force rafting, but will allow one additional vessel of equal or lesser length/beam to raft if given expressed permission by the moored vessel for an additional $20.

All town moorings in Edgartown waters are “fair weather" moorings and are therefore not sufficient for safe holding during severe weather. The Town of Edgartown is not responsible for the mooring tackle or any damage to your vessel caused by weather-related events.

• • TRANSIENT DOCK SPACE • • Our department operates two reservation-based transient docks available for vessels up to 70 and 100-feet in length. They are fixed piers located at North Wharf opposite the fuel dock and include water and electric. The dockage reservation calendar opens one week prior to the moorings (typically February 22nd except during leap years or weekend days). The 2017 rate was $5 per foot, 50-foot minimum ($250 charge for vessels under 50-feet), 100-foot maximum, and one-week limit per calendar month for July & August.

• • FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVE DOCKAGE • • In addition to our two transient docks at North Wharf, are four first-come, first-serve finger-piers for vessels under 30-feet in length and 4-feet in draft. These cannot be reserved in advance and are available for an hourly rate. They are located at the foot of Main Street in between the Mad Max Marina and the Edgartown Yacht Club and are denoted by the right-green paint on the pilings.

• • DINGHY DOCK • • Located at the foot of Main Street on the west side of the Edgartown Yacht Club (A-Frame building extending over the water) is a floating dock rafted alongside a row of red-painted pilings. Be certain to bring a dock line no less than 15-feet as the dinghy dock is often several boats deep, and to leave at least 8-feet off your bow. If you plan to be absent for more than a day, please utilize the launch service to help curb overcrowding as a courtesy to those actively commuting throughout the day. We also appreciate when our guests report any non-tender vessels occupying the space and will respond, remove, and relocate at our earliest ability to do so.
In addition to the primary dinghy dock, we have short-term tie-up available at North Wharf for guests using our complimentary showers, heads, and trash drop-off facilities.

• • LAUNCH • • The Town of Edgartown contracts laucnh service with a private company. For the last decade, that launch has been OldPort Launch, which can be reached on VHF Ch. 68. Between July 4th and Labor Day, they operate from 07:00 AM to 01:00 AM and during shoulder seasons, from around 08:00 AM to 08/09:00 PM.

• • WATER BARGE • • Located diagonally across the channel from Green Channel Marker #9 is our floating water barge secured by two ball-shaped blue moorings on either side. It is free to use, accessible 24-7 on a first-come, first-serve basis, and equipped with two hoses. Vessel can tie up on either side of it.

• • PUMP-OUT • • Edgartown Harbor offers free pump-out service to all vessels in Edgartown waters via a pump-out boat that will pull alongside. To request a pump-out, hail “Edgartown Pupm-out” directly on VHF Ch. 74. You do not have to be on board at the time of a pump-out, but are encouraged to hail before 2PM.

• • ICE • • Block ice can be purchased during business hours at Prime Marina located on North Wharf next to our office at 1 Morse Street. You can use the temporary dinghy dock at North Wharf or ask the launch to drop you off at North. Ice can also be purchased at Porky's Bait & Tackle on Dock Street, the Paper Store on the corner of Main St & North Water St, and any of the package stores in town such as the Wharf Wine & Spirits shop on Mayhew Lane.

• • ANCHORAGE • • The anchorage area is located in the outer harbor across the channel from the lighthouse and to the port-side of Red Nun #8 along the Chappaquiddick shoreline. It is serviced by the launch, well protected by Chappy's bluff from the light, prevailing southwest breeze, and all sand on the bottom making for easy holding. Vessels anchoring must be out of the channel and swim zones and all engines must be shut off 150-feet and less from shore. Anchorage in Katama Bay is only open at the harbormaster’s discretion when strong winds from the North/Northeast are present. Please hail us on VHF Ch. 74 to inquire about status.

• • GROCERY & PHARMACY • • While there are smaller provisions shops in Edgartown, the primary grocery store for the town, and much of the island, is Stop & Shop, located on Upper Main Street. It is about 0.8 miles (15-20 minute walk) from the dinghy dock but can also be accessed via the free Park & Ride Shuttle operated by the Vineyard Transit Authority. The shuttle leaves from Mayhew Lane every 15-20 minutes during high season. Further up the street from Stop & Shop is their pharmacy, also accessible by foot or the Park & Ride. The island's primary hospital is located in the Town of Oak Bluffs and accessible via bus or car.

• • ATTENTION • • Any yachtsmen leaving the island and their vessel unattended for any reason must advise the Harbormaster Department and provide emergency contact details and an island contact when absent for several or more days. This is strongly discouraged and not recommended.

Edgartown is a beautiful harbor and we look forward to sharing its beauty and character with you.

Fair Winds & Following Seas,

The Edgartown Harbormaster Department

Approach

As you pass the Edgartown Lighthouse at the entrance of the harbor, hail "Edgartown Harbor" on VHF Ch. 74 with your vessel's name, LOA, and whether or not you have a reservation. We will respond with your mooring number and directions.
*Before hailing, please ensure you do not step-on or interrupt any transmissions already taking place.

Minimum Approach Depth:15.0 Feet

Minimum Channel Depth:15.0 Feet

Mean Low Water Dock Depth:15.0 Feet

Services & Amenities

Last Updated: Aug 29, 2017

Dockage:Yes

Moorings:Yes

Anchorage:Yes

Fuel Dock:Nearby

Water Hookup:Yes

Maintenance Facility:Nearby

Water Taxi:Nearby

Dinghy Dock:Yes

Wi-Fi:Nearby

Pump-out:Yes

Restrooms:Yes

Showers:Yes

Trash:Yes

Ice:Yes

Boat Ramp:Yes

Gas:Nearby

Diesel:Nearby

ATM:Yes

Groceries:Nearby

Alcohol:Nearby

Medical Facility:Nearby

Pharmacy:Nearby

Car Rentals:Nearby

Bike Rentals:Nearby

Hotels:Nearby

Closest Airport:MVY

Restaurants:Nearby

Beach:Nearby

Golf:Nearby

Tennis:Nearby

Ship Store:Yes

Bait & Tackle:Nearby

Max. Vessel LOA:100.0 Feet

Max. Slip Length:100.0 Feet

Max. Slip Width:24.0 Feet

Fixed Docks:Yes

Electric Amps:30 / Dual 30 / 50 / Dual 50

Electric Voltage:120 / 250

Repair Crane:Nearby

Engine Service:Nearby

Propeller Service:Nearby

Dry Storage:Nearby

Winter Storage:Nearby

Travel Lift:Nearby

Yacht Brokerage:Nearby

Show All

Reviews

Stayed at the dock this time so I got to use the restrooms and showers which were functional - that is the best I can say. Also even in middle October they have a 50 foot minimum - not exactly boater friendly. But as always the staff were very cordial in implementing the town policies.

We are, and have been, very frequent "mooring' guests to this harbor over the past 10 years. We go as much for the harbor tranquility as the on island charm and amenities. It's a busy harbor but the mooring field layout offers some buffering if you move down harbor. The reservation process through "Dockwa", even last minute in real time as one enters the harbor, is efficient and effectively backstops a very capable harbormaster staff whose friendliness always adds "value' to our visits. Our favorite stop.

Edgartown is one of the prettiest harbors in New England. Harbormaster always tries to accommodate boaters. Pumpout readily available. Mike is terrific. The town has great restaurants and shops. Edgartown has become one of my favorite destinations. Try the Atlantic or Alchemy for dinner. Seafood Shanty for a drink and a view of the harbor. And of course a walk to the lighthouse.

Edgartown does this RIGHT. A MUCH different atmosphere from OB an it's MUCH more relaxing! They require reservations for all moorings, and they charge for raft-ups so it cuts way down on the hooligans. Launch is provided by a private company and is well run, but takes awhile(15mins for pickup), bring a tender for timely service. I did not use the showers/water/fuel/trash dock so I don't know how well this operates but in general I hear it's very good.
Overall the experience in E-town is much more upscale, low-key and adult. The kids who run this harbor for the harbormaster do a very good job.

Great stay. They are totally professional and organized.
Service was excellent nice moorings and the employees are very friendly.
Dingy dock is tight and can be a challenge. They encourage the launch service!!
Great time !!!

Great place to stay. They are very nice and efficient. The water taxi is a bit pricey but works great. There are only 3 showers for 88 rental moorings in the harbor, so beware that there might be a wait sometimes.

I feel as if it is getting harder to stay at Edgartown, one of our favorite and most visited locations. The 10 am check out policy is just too early (bring back 11 am). I also miss the blue moorings; the lack of first come first serve will mean fewer day visits for us in the future. Lastly, the dinghy dock situation is just plain out of control. Why are there multiple 15 ft and larger whalers and dories parked at the dinghy dock? They don't belong there...

we were handled very efficiently and enjoyed our day in Edgartown Harbor. You had a rude pump out person with "Harbor Master" stenciled on back of his shirt. When we got to our assigned mooring, it was taken. Since I was in middle of the moorings with boats all around I elected to temporarily tie up to one until I could reach Harbormaster with new direction. This jerk started yelling at us and telling us I should be calling in first. that is like using a cellphone while your are driving. Idiot.

We took in o everything we possibly could that Edgartown had to offer.
Water, Diesel Restaurants, Mike on the pump out boat, the all-day busses. Ferry to Chapy
Dingy rides to the light houses. It was definitely the high lite of our two week cruise, Thanks for having us. everyone we met was vary friendly.
Paul

The Edgartown Harbor team is always very responsive and helpful. Nice quiet harbor. One simple example of how much the staff cares...the Pump Out Boat Operator (I think his name is Mike) stops at open moorings as he goes by to coil up the lines in the top of the mooring to get it out the water and make the line easier to retrieve for the next Captain. They "get it" at Edgartown Harbor.

Our stay was wonderful. We had a relaxing and very quiet vacation. I would recommend staying on a mooring. The sunsets were beautiful as was the sunrise. The water taxis were always available and convenient when we wanted to go to the shore. Thank you!

The location is great and the Harbormaster does a good job of responding quickly and managing the busy mooring field. The dinghy dock is ridiculously small for such a large number of boats. There are some dinghys on it, filled with water, that sit there and never move, taking up valuable space. They need to get those abandoned dinghy out of there. Also, this is the only marina we've seen without recycling. They claim there's no recycling on the island but we saw plenty of recycling bins around houses.

Great Harbor and town. Very poor launch service. Long delays in pickup. One launch "out of service" to take a group of "ladies" out. Wet, dirty, boats. One driver was rude and surly. Two boats not enough for peak periods. Overloads on two occasions. Worst launch service in any port this season.

Beautiful spot staff great! We loved our entire stay! Shelly from harbor s and above her duties to help us out!
The launch staff Bill and Nick were friendly and we enjoyed the cruises to and from out mooring! We can't wait to come back!

I love Edgartown Harbor. The mooring field is well protected and the harbor master is very helpful and professional. The dinghy dock is starting to get ridiculous. It's always had the deserved rep of being three deep at times. It's now all the time. Boaters come and spend a ton of money in town, which must generate local revenue. They really need a larger or additional dinghy dock, even if it's a bit further from town.

Edgartown is the best run harbor of any that we've visited in the Northeast. The Harbormaster's staff couldn't be more helpful. I'm sure that working in one of the most beautiful places on earth helps. Can't wait to come back!

The harbor is beautiful. The price for a mooring is reasonable. My only complaint is that the dinghy dock is way too small. Dinghy are tied up three deep. The dock is old and tippy. There is a launch available, but for a fee.
Otherwise this is great place to stay. Beach nearby.

Spent five nights on a mooring. Courteous and timely launch service although little pricey ($4 one way). Lovely town within walking distance with great restaurants and shows. Local bus service well organized and allows exploring throughout Martha's Vineyard.

Despite the unpleasant weather for 2 of our 5 days we had a blast!
Edgartown is at the top of our list for boating destinations. The dinghy dock, water barge, fuel dock, free bus to Stop & Shop and the $1.00 coffee at the store next to the harbormaster's office all make boating more enjoyable. MV has great biking, beaching, shopping and eating options. Now if only there was a laundromat closer to town then the airport it would be even better. We enjoyed meeting Becky from Dockwa at the harbormaster's office! See you next summer.

Great protection, well organized, knowledgeable Harbormaster team, great communications. FYI Edgartown no longer has the first-come-first-served blue moorings. All are yellow and all require Dockwa or direct communication with the Harbormaster.

A beautiful location. Harbormaster's staff were all friendly and helpful, and all the amenities needed for a great stay were available - with the exception of block ice! We could find it in only one store near the docks, and that store closed at 6 pm!

I don't like the new policy that you initiated in Edgartown Harbor doing away with the free "blue" moorings which were First Come First Serve for transient Day trippers. Its not that its $40 whether your there for an hour or overnight.. Its that there is no certainty of getting a mooring for a daytrip. Now that you take only reservations of short stays, I have witnessed numerous moorings being unoccupied, but the Harbor Masters office saying over the radio that there are no open moorings b/c they are reserved. Well like my trip yesterday, I paid $40 to have that mooring until 10am the next morning, but I only used that mooring for 3 hours. So unless I checked out with the Harbormasters office, they could not put a daytripper on that mooring, b/c I held the reservation. While the Harbormasters Office may benefit from higher revenues from those 25 formerly "blue" moorings now being "yellow", and Dockwa will make significantly more fees by collecting reservations for those formerly free moorings, I truly think that the local retailers will feel a decrease in business. Last season we made over 10 day trips over, for either breakfast, lunch or dinner, as I'm sure many others did. But now with the uncertainty of getting a mooring, we will like reduce our visits to Edgartown, and go to other ports like Oak Bluffs for instance where you can always get a mooring and for no charge. I think if you insist on the new "blue" mooring policy, you should refine the booking system to be for lesser blocks of times for lower fee. For instance, we went over on 7/20, and I was able to get a reservation for my daytrip: however according to your calendar yesterday, 7/21 & 22 were already fully booked. You need to segregate daytripper reservations from overnights, so you don't hold a mooring as full if its only used by a daytripper for 3 hours.

This is the fifth year we have brought our grandson's for the Edgertown Jr regratta and I informed the harbortmaster Sat morning that I had to wait until this afternoon when the race was over to collect my grandson's and leave. We left at 4:20 today and when I arrived home I found we were charged for another day. The past 4 years, I did the same thing and I wasn't charged. I could have made other arrangements if I was told this when I talked with the young lady this morning.

I was very disappointed to learn of the new $40 fee for any use of a mooring. I absolutely love Edgartown and frequent the harbor, shops and restaurants. But, I will not be coming back very often, if at all, with this new fee. I agree with paying a fee like that for overnight stays, but don't punish the people who like to come for a couple of hours. How do you go from free moorings to $40 for even one hour??? Between the mooring fee and then the launch, it cost me almost $100 before I even stepped on land! I hope you come up with a better policy or I think the shops/restaurants are going to suffer.

I liked using the dockwa app and our incredibly ease of access to our mooring. In the past we have enjoyed dropping in to Edgartown for a few hours to shop and eat. I'm concerned that the new app will inhibit our access to the town as it doesn't appear to have the ability to access the harbor for a short visit. Reservations are for a minimum of 24 hrs.

The crew at the Edgartown Harbormaster office continues the tradition of efficiency and hospitality. The Town put a new policy in place this season to charge $40 for the use of a mooring whether it is for an hour or overnight. The situation was explained over the radio when we entered the harbor. We were able to create a Dockwa account, reserve and pay for the mooring quickly. As soon as we did the radio call came in from the Harbormaster directing us to a mooring. I'm sure this change will create an uproar for those who have been using the moorings for free during the day for years. I was one of those and loved it. I don't mind having to pay for something that is valuable. Edgartown Harbor is a gem.

(2/5 for fee not service) Ridiculous to now pay a $40 mooring fee, particularly for the hundreds of day trippers. Instituting an overnight or full day fee is justifiable for transient moorings but you're punishing the many people who moor in Edgartown for lunch, shopping and a walk around town. Town fathers may gain $40 in new revenue but they'll lose the considerable money spent all season long on lunch, drinks, coffee, ice cream, clothing, antiques and artwork. Perhaps a 3 or 4 hour grace period could be considered and a fee applied if boaters exceed that time. We typically visited with 4-10 people aboard (@ $8/pp for launch service) but we won't be coming back as often. Good luck to the retailers, hope you're giving them a tax break. Bad shortsighted move.

We never actually stayed on the mooring we had reserved because the fuel dock (which shut down at 5) was unoccupied, so we tied up there and left before it opened in the morning. We looked for someone to pay but failed to find someone. They did get our $40 for the mooring via Dockwa.

Great location, unbeatable price. Friendly staff. Launch is run by another company (Old Port) and costs a couple bucks each way. I highly recommend eating at The Port Hunter and Behind The Bookstore while in town.